Is Acrolein safe in cosmetics?
Acrolein has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: prohibited.
Acrolein
Also known as: 2-Propenal, Caswell No. 009, EINECS 203-453-4, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 000701, RCRA waste number P003 (+15 more)
INCI: ACROLEIN
Acrolein (CAS 107-02-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as No approved cosmetic function — it is an industrial chemical (2-propenal). EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; GHS signal word DANGER. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 107-02-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Acrolein is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H225, H300, H301, H311, H314, H318, H330, H400).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
No approved cosmetic function — it is an industrial chemical (2-propenal)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
prop-2-enal
InChIKey
HGINCPLSRVDWNT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
prohibited
US Notes
Not approved for cosmetic use; classified as highly toxic by EPA. Severe irritant and sensitizer
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Acrolein.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
FlamFlameCorrSkullToxicEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
Extremely flammable liquid and vapour Causes severe skin burns and eye damage Fatal if swallowed or in contact with skin Toxic if inhaled May cause cancer May cause damage to upper respiratory tract through prolonged or repeated exposure Very toxic to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
Lachrymation. The vapour is severely irritating to the respiratory tract. The substance is corrosive to the eyes and skin. Inhalation of high concentrations may cause lung oedema. See Notes. The effects may be delayed. Medical observation is indicated.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance may have effects on the respiratory tract. This substance is probably carcinogenic to humans.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour, through the skin and by ingestion. Serious local effects by all routes of exposure.
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
2A
Volume
63, Sup 7, 128
Evaluation Year
2020
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
FlammableAcute ToxicityCorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Flam. Liq. 2; Acute Tox. 1; Acute Tox. 3; Acute Tox. 2; Skin Corr. 1B; Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour
- H330 Fatal if inhaled
- H311 Toxic in contact with skin
- H300 Fatal if swallowed
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
Skin Corr. 1B; H314: C ≥ 0.1%; M = 100; M = 1
Inserted via ATP: ATP06
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (5)
Carcinogen Classification
3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Carcinogen Classification
Acrolein | Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans | Volume 63: (1995) Dry Cleaning, Some Chlorinated Solvents and Other Industrial Chemicals | Volume Sup 7: Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42, 1987; 440 pages; ISBN 92-832-1411-0 (out of print) | Volume 128: (2021) Acrolein, Crotonaldehyde, and Arecoline
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Under the Draft Revised Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (U.S. EPA, 1999), the potential carcinogenicity of acrolein cannot be determined because the existing "data are inadequate for an assessment of human carcinogenic potential for either the oral or inhalation route of exposure." There are no adequate human studies of the carcinogenic potential of acrolein. Collectively, experimental s
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
0090
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Severe eye and skin irritant. | Upper respiratory tract irritant ... . | The general sequence of acrolein irritation is concentration-time dependent eg, 1 ppm for 1 min gives slight nasal irritation; 1 ppm for 5 min gives intolerable eye irritation; 5.5 ppm for 5 seconds gives moderate eye irritation; & 5.5 ppm for 1 min produces marked lacrimation. ... | Severe irritation of the eyes, skin, mucou
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Flavouring and nutrient
No specific technical function
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Acrolein.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
2-Propenal
Caswell No. 009
EINECS 203-453-4
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 000701
RCRA waste number P003
Acraldehydeacroleina
Acroleine
Akrolein
Akroleina
Aldehyde acrylique
Aldeide acrilica
UNII-7864XYD3JJ
2-Propenaldehyde
Acquinite
Acraldehyde
Aldehyde, acrylic
Aldehyde, allyl
Aldehyde, ethylene
Aqualine
Biocide
Chemical Function
Flavouring and nutrient
Biocide
No specific technical function
Regulatory Lists
air; emissions; Europe; nondetect; Other direct contact consumer goods
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Australia
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Furniture and Furnishings
air; emissions; Europe; nondetect; Other direct contact consumer goods
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
ACROLEIN
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL721
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Acrolein allowed in the EU?
Acrolein EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Acrolein do in cosmetics?
Acrolein functions as: No approved cosmetic function — it is an industrial chemical (2-propenal). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 107-02-8.
Is Acrolein classified as hazardous under GHS?
Acrolein carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Extremely flammable liquid and vapour Causes severe skin burns and eye damage Fatal if swallowed or in contact with skin Toxic if inhaled May cause cancer May cause damage to upper respiratory tract through prolonged or repeated exposure Very toxic to aquatic life. This classification is based on the ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Card and ECHA C&L inventory data. Note: GHS classification applies to the pure substance — at cosmetic use concentrations, hazard thresholds may not be met.
Is Acrolein used outside cosmetics?
Acrolein also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Acrolein have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Acrolein is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H225, H300, H301, H311, H314, H318, H330, H400).
Compliance Tools
Check Acrolein compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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